Book One: Discovery
by ToothPasteCanyon
Summary: A different version of the first season of Korra. As unrest brews in Republic City, Katara and Sokka discover the identity of the next Avatar.


A pot sat on the stove in a house of ice, slowly coming to a boil. An old man was bent over it, carefully stirring, frosty eyebrows knitted together in a frown. After a moment he paused, took off one glove and turned up the radio sitting nearby.

- _protests still ongoing in Republic City! People are furious about the latest appointment to the city council: a young but brilliant Fire Nation politician called Roshni. With her on board, there are currently no nonbenders represented on the council._

As he was listening, the pot boiled over; he started at the hiss of hot water hitting ice and quickly moved it off the heat. "Aww, man!"

"What was that?" An old woman walked into the room, one eyebrow raised. "Are you cooking, Sokka?"

"Yeah, it's… it's a work in progress!" Sokka rolled his eyes as his sister whisked the spilt water away with the flick of her hand. "I just thought since I was leaving for my speech tomorrow, I could try making sea prunes. They never have them in Republic City!"

"It smells… nice." She tried not to wrinkle her nose. "Do you need any help?"

"Help? Nah, I've seen you and Gran Gran and Dad do this a million times. I've got this totally under control; I just need to concentrate!"

"Fair enough. So, are you packed for-"

"Ah-ah-ah!" Sokka tentatively nudged the pot back over the heat. "I'm concentrating… concentrating… packing… packing! I forgot to-"

"Don't worry about it, Sokka. You cook, I'll pack." She started heading back the way she came. "Do you need anything specific?"

"There's my speech on the desk… my boomerang… and, my sword... And before you say it, yes, I know it's a diplomatic mission!"

"Do you need your cane?"

"What cane?"

"The one I bought for your eightieth birthday."

"I don't need a cane!"

Katara stuck her head back into the kitchen. "Yes, you do."

"No I don't!" Sokka turned around, leaning on his scabbard for support. "I'm not that old!"

She snorted. "Oh really? Then why does everyone in the town call you Old Man Sokka?"

"They don't call me that! They don't call me that, right?" Sokka took one look at his sister's grin and groaned. "Of course. Well, I'm not reinforcing it!"

"Alright, alright. I'll just-"

A loud knocking on the door startled them. Three strong raps; when there was no immediate reply, banging.

"Who is that?" Sokka frowned. "Hello?"

A muffled voice answered them. "Help! Open the door, please!"

Moving faster than one would have expected at her age, Katara ran across the room and opened the door, revealing a young woman – one of the waterbending teachers, she remembered – who was white as a sheet.

"Master Katara! Old Man Sokka!"

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "Hey, I'm not-"

"You have to come quickly!" She was already backing up, beckoning them with trembling hands. "One of my students, a fight- I tried to break it up, but- they've been horribly burned!"

"Burned?" All traces of humor fell from Sokka's face. "How?"

"There, there was a fight, but… I'll explain on the way! Please, you have to hurry!"

"We're right behind you. Your student is going to be fine, don't worry." Katara said, following her as she made for the village. Sokka hobbled after them, struggling in the snow.

The pot boiled over, unattended.

* * *

"In here! There he is!"

Katara walked in the tent, bracing herself for the worst. She looked down and saw a rather tall, muscular teenager sitting hunched over the nearest pool of water. The other students – a group of similarly aged students clustered around him and some little kids by the further pool – looked utterly shocked. They turned their heads towards Katara when she entered, eyes wide and staring.

"Let me through, please," She knelt next to the hunched teenager, noting the tension in his shoulders and the clench in his jaw. He was clearly in a lot of pain. "Can I see the burn?"

With what seemed like a great effort, he unclenched his fist. Katara tried her best not to suck in a breath; burns had always been her least favourite wounds to treat. This one didn't look pretty, but she'd seen worse.

The teacher hurried inside, followed by Sokka. "How bad is it? Can you heal it? Is he going to be okay?"

"Calm down. He's going to be okay." Katara took a deep breath and began the healing process. "What happened?"

The student spoke up. "It was a girl from the kiddie pool!"

"From the kiddie pool?" Sokka frowned at the collecton of scared toddlers. "Maybe it's just me, but none of these guys look like firebenders."

"No, she ran off after it happened. She's way older than them – like, our age – but she really sucks at waterbending. I was just teasing her – you know, having fun – when all of a sudden, she firebends at me!" He winced in pain as Katara's hand faltered and the healing started to fade. "Ow! Ow!"

"Sorry!" Katara quickly resumed the healing. A waterbender, and a firebender? It couldn't be… could it?

She and Sokka shared a look, and he cleared his throat. "So, she's from the Fire Nation?"

The teacher answered. "No, and that's the strangest thing! I know Korra – that's the firebender –'s parents. Tonraq and Senna, they've lived in the Southern Water Tribe for their whole lives. They're waterbenders! There's no way… I mean…"

She trailed off as the realization began to wash over the class. There was absolute silence but for the gentle glowing sound of Katara's healing. All eyes were on her as she finished up, and got to her feet.

"That should be completely healed. Please, come and see me if you feel any more pain." Katara put her gloves back on to hide the tremor. "Don't worry about Korra. We will pay her a visit."

Sokka watched his sister walk out of the igloo, and followed her out. His grin grew wider and wider, until he was full to bursting from excitement. "Katara, did you hear that? I-I can't believe it! I mean, I knew it was gonna happen, and the White Lotus was looking for him- her, I mean. What was her name again? Karro? Kurra? Something with a K… Katara?"

He caught up to Katara, who had slowed considerably. She had a misty shine in her eyes. "I can't believe it either, Sokka."

They were nearing the chief's house. Sokka put a hand on her shoulder, and she sighed. "It's been so many years since Aang's… departure. I've thought a lot about the next Avatar, what they'll be like. I guess I just have a lot of expectations." She smiled slowly. "I'm glad we have the chance to meet her."

"Me too, Katara." Sokka blinked as she suddenly pulled him into a tight hug. He squeezed back, but after a moment he started patting her shoulder and inching away. "There you go… hugging, yes, lots of hugging. Great."

Katara released him, wiping her eyes as her smile turned wry. "Alright, tough guy. I'll let you go."

"Hey, I just happen to like my personal space." He waved his scabbard at the door. "Now let's go see what this firebending is all about!"

Katara nodded, stepped forwards and knocked. There was a shout of, "coming!" from inside, and a man came to open the door. His eyes widened in surprise as he recognized both of them. "Master Katara! Former Councilman Sokka! It's an honor to meet you. Do you need something?"

"We've got reports of your daughter firebending."

The surprise vanished, and his expression set into a worried frown. "I thought you might be here for that. You should probably come in."

Both siblings stepped inside and immediately took notice of a side door, behind which could be heard faint shouting and flashes of red. Tonraq looked at both of them and walked across the room to stand in front of it.

"Before you talk to Korra... Please, know that my daughter meant absolutely no harm; she had no idea she could firebend-"

"It's okay – Tonraq, right?" Katara waved her hand. "We're not here to punish her."

He visibly relaxed, but there was still a spark of worry in his eyes. "I'm glad to hear it… but… if she can firebend…"

Sokka leaned on his scabbard. "Well, can she waterbend?"

From the other side of the room, a woman answered. "Yes, a little. She… gets frustrated with it."

"Well, then it's settled. Nobody else can bend two different elements."

"We'll tell the White Lotus." Katara stepped forwards. "And, if I may, could we…meet your daughter?"

He stepped aside. "Of course. I'm sure she would be happy to meet you. Korra?"

The shouting and flashes of red stopped. "Yes?" somebody said in a breathless voice.

Katara leaned forwards. This was it. She'd spent most of her life with Aang, and now it was time to see if friendships truly could last more than a lifetime.

Not for the first time that day, she looked to Sokka. He shrugged, and smiled.

"Could you come outside for a moment? There are some people who want to meet you."

Katara didn't know what she was expecting, but one thing could be certain; she was not expecting the door to be blown down in a blaze of fire. Korra stood there, looking equal parts surprised and excited.

"Whoops, sorry about the door, Dad." She put her hands on her hips. "Anyway, hi! I'm the Avatar!"

No, she certainly did not expect this.

* * *

 **Inspired by TheMysteriousMrEnter's review of The Legend of Korra.**


End file.
